High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Pegylated interferon alfa-2b is a treatment for hepatitis C developed by Schering-Plough, brand name is Peg Intron. It was approved in January 2001. PEG-interferon alpha is a pegylated interferon composed of 165 amino acids. The PEG (polyethylene glycol) protects the molecule from proteolytic breakdown and increases the biological half-life of the interferon protein. While PEG-interferon alpha-2b is commonly used as a treatment for hepatitis C, it has also been shown to have optimistic effects in the treatment of malignant melanoma. It is also used in patients with neurofibromatosis to shrink neurofibromas.